ST.LOUIS, Mo.- The Missouri Baptist University men's wrestling team fell in their final dual against Graceland University (Iowa) 27-20 to close out the regular season on Thursday night. The Spartans celebrated nine seniors on Senior Night.
Avelino Mota Jr., Kody Kretzer, Daryl Mills, Jacob Sinn, Brandon Bollinger, Joel Campbell, James Johnson, Hunter Song, and Jared Volcic were each celebrated for their contributions to the MBU men's wrestling.
The Yellowjackets stung quickly as they picked up the fall and a forfeit at 125 and 133, going up 12 team points early.
The Spartans responded as senior 141-pounder Mills laid on a scoring clinic on Graceland's Caden Lopez. Mills came close to the fall a few times, but came away with the technical fall and put the Spartans on the scoreboard.
Brayden Eikermann wrestled for MBU at 149 and controlled the match. Despite several scramble positions, Eikermann did not allow his opponent to score and came away with the fall early in the second period.
At 157, another senior Bollinger came up big for the Spartans. GU's 157-pounder Invi Bella found the takedown after being hit with a stall warning. Bollinger quickly responded and got the reversal, and with his heavy pressure in the top position, was able to get Bella tacked with his second stall-warning of the match to even the score 3-3 at the end of the first. After the opening period, Bollinger controlled the match and outscored Bella 5-1 in the last two periods to take the 8-4 decision at 157.
In the Navy and White at 165, Campbell wrestled his final match in the Carl & Deloris Petty SRC. Campbell controlled the bout early, scoring an escape after an injury timeout, keeping the pressure on and tacking his opponent with a stall warning, and closing the first period with the lead. His opponent, Stephen Dickerson, responded quickly with an escape and takedown in the second period to take a 4-1 lead into the third.
Campebell chose bottom to start the third and was able to get Dickerson awarded another stall-warning and get the escape to bring the score within one. Campbell eventually found Dickerson in a poor position, finished a takedown, and was awarded an additional stall warning to win 7-4.
The Yellowjackets would have the last laugh as they picked up three bonus-point victories to clinch the dual going into the heavyweight bout.
Amad Soufi capped off the night in Amad Soufi fashion, scoring the only takedown of the match in the second period, which would be the difference-maker in his 4-1 win, finishing the dual 27-20 in favor of Graceland.
The Spartans travel to Oskaloosa, Iowa, to the campus of William Penn University to take part in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament next weekend, Saturday, Feb. 21, to keep their hopes of a national berth alive.
